Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety2#909/924
Economy0#922/925
Housing23#715/925
Health5#883/925
Healthcare39#560/923
Environment1#911/917
Education5#882/925
Infrastructure13#805/925
Community6#867/925
Leisure & amenities7#862/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Forrest City, AR micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Home price to income ratio · low2.1×
95/100Arkansas 3.1×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Effective property tax rate · low0.48%
87/100Arkansas 0.56%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Public EV charging ports · high7.8 /10k
77/100Arkansas 3.6 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyAggregated from counties
Distance to an emergency room · low5.2 mi
72/100Arkansas 7.3 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesAggregated from counties
Depression · low22.2%
72/100Arkansas 25.3%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Mental health providers · high357 /100k
71/100Arkansas 281 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Voter turnout · low34.1%
0/100Arkansas 52.5%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionAggregated from counties
Adult obesity · high47.9%
0/100Arkansas 40.6%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Homicide rate · high29.7 /100k
1/100Arkansas 7.0 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Physical inactivity · high41.2%
1/100Arkansas 34.4%United States 26.5%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Child poverty rate · high42.4%
1/100Arkansas 19.6%United States 15.5%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Gyms and fitness centers · low0.0 /10k
1/100Arkansas 1.1 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationFalling
23,019 (2020) → 21,800 (2025)
−5.3%5 yearsUS 331,578,104 → 341,784,857
Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 60% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+60 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
57.9% (2015-2019) → 82.7% (2020-2024)
+25 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Gyms and fitness centersWorsening
0.4 /10k (2020) → 0.0 /10k (2025)
−100%5 yearsUS 1.2 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
58.1% (2010 & 2021) → 72.5% (2022 & 2024)
+14 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Child care cost burdenWorsening
25.8% (2020 & 2021) → 39.1% (2023 & 2024)
+13 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Forrest City, AR micropolitan area improved on 10 of 29 measures with a comparison and declined on 9. 8 moved within the margin of error and 2 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved10

Broadband+25 points57.9% → 82.7%
Restaurants+34%4.8 /10k → 6.4 /10k
Libraries+14%0.4 /10k → 0.5 /10k
Arts & recreation+32%1.7 /10k → 2.3 /10k
Pharmacies+5.6%1.7 /10k → 1.8 /10k

Declined9

Gyms−100%0.4 /10k → 0.0 /10k
Child poverty+8.8 points33.6% → 42.4%
Homicides+70%17.5 /100k → 29.7 /100k
Commute+3.8 min19.2 min → 23.0 min
New businesses−20%13.9 /1k → 11.2 /1k

All 29 measures

Change of every measure of Forrest City, AR micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	1.7 /10k2020	2.3 /10k2025	+32%	Improved	89%
Average commute time	19.2 min2015-2019	23.0 min2020-2024	+3.8 min	Declined	3%
Average weekly wage	$7972020	$9562025	+20%	Improved	21%
Bachelor's degree or higher	10.4%2015-2019	14.2%2020-2024	+3.9 points	Improved	75%
Broadband subscriptions	57.9%2015-2019	82.7%2020-2024	+25 points	Improved	100%
Child poverty rate	33.6%2015-2019	42.4%2020-2024	+8.8 points	Declined	1%
Distance to an airport	45 mi2020	45 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	15.1 /100k2020	16.0 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+6%	Declined	24%
Effective property tax rate	0.46%2015-2019	0.48%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	5%
Firearm deaths	26.4 /100k2020	29.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+11%	Declined	34%
Grocery stores	1.7 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	−21%	Declined	9%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.4 /10k2020	0.0 /10k2025	−100%	Declined	1%
High school diploma or higher	81.9%2015-2019	85.9%2020-2024	+4 points	Within the margin of error	91%
Home price to income ratio	1.8×2015-2019	2.1×2020-2024	+0.3×	Within the margin of error	67%
Homicide rate	17.5 /100k2020	29.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+70%	Declined	3%
Income adjusted for local prices	$36,0732019	$46,1222024	+28%	Improved	22%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4912015-2019	0.4892020-2024	−0.001	Within the margin of error	59%
Median household income	$35,3482015-2019	$42,5742020-2024	+20%	Improved	16%
New business applications	13.9 /1k2020	11.2 /1k2025	−20%	Declined	1%
Pharmacies	1.7 /10k2020	1.8 /10k2025	+5.6%	Improved	85%
Poverty rate	24.9%2015-2019	28.5%2020-2024	+3.6 points	Within the margin of error	2%
Public libraries	0.4 /10k2019	0.5 /10k2024	+14%	Improved	94%
Rent as share of income	31.3%2015-2019	32.2%2020-2024	+0.9 points	Within the margin of error	39%
Rent-burdened households	52.9%2015-2019	54.9%2020-2024	+2.1 points	Within the margin of error	39%
Restaurants and bars	4.8 /10k2020	6.4 /10k2025	+34%	Improved	98%
Suicide rate	16.9 /100k2020	16.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−1.2%	Little change	64%
Traffic deaths	30.2 /100k2015-2019	37.5 /100k2020-2024	+24%	Declined	23%
Unemployment rate	7.9%2020	5.9%2025	−2 points	Improved	22%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	10.3%2015-2019	10.2%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	45%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 786 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Forrest City, AR micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Forrest City, AR micropolitan area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Forrest City, AR micropolitan area itself moved −4.4 points in standing on average over the same 28 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

22,400 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

7,783 households (±327)

Forrest City, AR micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k33%2,534
$25k–50k24%1,846
$50k–75k18%1,424

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

7,783 households (±327)

Forrest City, AR micropolitan area
United States share

Own55%4,319
Rent45%3,464

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

7,415 workers (±448)

Forrest City, AR micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone82%6,057
Carpool12%886
Public transit0.2%†12

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Forrest City, AR micropolitan area.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Forrest City, AR has 404 employer establishments, 183 for every 10,000 residents (0.74× the US rate of 248), with 4,813 paid employees at an average annual pay of $38,492. The Census Bureau also counts 1,939 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 404; 1,939 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 183; US 248
Paid employees: 4,813
Average annual pay: $38,492; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Forrest City, AR by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	47	21.3	1.02×About typical	574	$46,784	277
Restaurants and other eating places	30	13.6	0.74×Fewer than typical	379	$17,227	5
Religious organizations	20	9.1	1.63×More than typical	55	$18,545	—
Gasoline stations	15	6.8	2.10×More than typical	158	$25,880	—
Legal services	15	6.8	1.26×More than typical	31	$31,484	10
Limited-service restaurants	15	6.8	0.85×About typical	255	$16,384	—
Banks and credit unions	14	6.3	1.96×More than typical	99	$46,687	—
Lessors of real estate	14	6.3	0.51×Fewer than typical	56	$14,054	75
Specialty trade contractors	14	6.3	0.41×Fewer than typical	77	$55,792	109
Full-service restaurants	13	5.9	0.77×Fewer than typical	124	$18,492	3
Building equipment contractors	11	5	0.83×About typical	59	$60,390	37
Offices of physicians	11	5	0.77×Fewer than typical	85	$74,129	13

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 22,080 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $3.4M on contracts performed in Forrest City, AR micropolitan area: $156 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $3.4M; −39% vs FY2025
Per resident: $156; US $1,994
Sole-source: 15%; US 30%
Single offer: 48%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$3.3M97%
Department of the Army$45.9K1.4%
Federal Prison Industries / Unicor$32K0.9%
Rural Housing Service$8,0000.2%

Top recipients

FEDERAL PRISON INDUSTRIES, INC$732.3K22%
CONSILIUM STAFFING, LLC$587.9K17%
SPECTRUM SERVICES GROUP INC$378K11%
NITELINES USA INC$295.2K8.7%
AMBULANCE SERVICES OF FORREST CITY LLC$217.7K6.4%

Spending by fiscal year

5.5MFY2017
12.5MFY2018
15.7MFY2019
25.4MFY2020
18.4MFY2021
6.4MFY2022
5.4MFY2023
5.6M

Top industries (NAICS)

Employment services · 5613$1.3M37%
Other food manufacturing · 3119$515.8K15%
Fabric mills · 3132$332.8K9.8%
General medical and surgical hospitals · 6221$218.8K6.5%
Apparel, piece goods, and notions merchant wholesalers · 4243$199.7K5.9%
Bakeries and tortilla manufacturing · 3118$181.3K

Largest awards

INMATE CLOTHING FOR THE INSTITUTION$332.8K
FEDERAL PRISON INDUSTRIES, INC· St. Francis County, AR· Other equipment & supplies· Apr 28, 2026 – Apr 28, 2026· 15B50826P00000132
LAUNDRY ITEMS$290.1K
FEDERAL PRISON INDUSTRIES, INC· St. Francis County, AR· Other equipment & supplies· May 17, 2024 – Jan 30, 2026· 15B50824P00000140
EMERGENCY AMBULANCE SERVICES FOR INMATES FOR A SERVICE PERIOD OCTOBER 1, 2025-SEPTEMBER 30, 2026.$254.5K
AMBULANCE SERVICES OF FORREST CITY LLC· St. Francis County, AR· Health & medical· Mar 11, 2026 – Jul 13, 2026· 15B50826P00000095
EDGE BANDING MACHINE

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $133.5M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Forrest City, AR micropolitan area: $6,125 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $133.5M; −17% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,125; US $12,955
Loan face value: $1.4M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 1.0%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$71.1M53%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$16.2M12%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$13.6M10%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$11.8M8.8%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$8.6M6.5%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$1.9M1.5%
10.427 · Rural Rental Assistance Payments$1.8M1.3%
10.912 · Environmental Quality Incentives Program$1.5M1.1%

Top recipients (organizations)

EAST ARKANSAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE$2.5M1.9%
FORREST CITY, AR
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF CITY OF FORREST$2.1M1.6%
FORREST CITY, AR
ROCK ISLAND AT WHITMORE LLC$1M0.8%
WASHINGTON, DC
ROBERT SMITH FARM LLC$835.9K0.6%
LITTLE ROCK, AR
FORREST CITY ASSOCIATES LP$478.4K

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$107.7M81%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$15.2M11%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$2.4M1.8%
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Natural Resources Conservation Service$2.3M1.7%
Department of Agriculture
Department of Education

Assistance by fiscal year

179.6MFY2021
146MFY2022
146.3MFY2023
133.7MFY2024
160.3MFY2025
133.5MFY2026

County aggregates

93%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Forrest City, AR

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

St. Francis CountyCentral county621,800

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Forrest CityPrincipal city12,646

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Arkansas

Areas based in Arkansas, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Memphis, TN-MS-AR15

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M22620

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved10

Declined9

Metro and micro areas like Forrest City, AR micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Forrest City, AR

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Arkansas

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved10

Declined9

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought